Convertible pipe



May 21, 1968 J. Y. SHIH 3,384,095

CONVERT IBLE P IPE Filed July 6, 1965 I NVEN TOR.

4k Jclmes Y. Shih 30 3b Fl .9 g 4m 4] United States Patent 3,384,095 CONVERTIBLE PIPE James Y. Shih, 4744 N. Madison St., Chicago, Ill. 60640 Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,428 1 Claim. (Cl. 131173) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE This invention includes the provision of a pipe having a resin body, a tobacco bowl, a stem and a valve plug provided in the stem to control the fiow of smoke through passages extending from the tobacco bowl through a cooling chamber having smoke filtering liquid therein such that smoke may be passed either directly to the stem, completely through the liquid, or partially through both paths at the same time.

This invention generally relates to smoking pipes and more particularly to liquid cooling means associated with a pipe having means for converting the same to and from a pipe having liquid cooled or liquid filtered smoke and a mixture of both and having means for preventing leakage of fluid therefrom.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic, partly perspective view, partly in section, of a convertible pipe according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a schematic, partly perspective view, partly in section, and comprising a rear view of the pipe shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of a smoke regulating valve.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a smoke regulating valve.

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the stem receiving well.

FIGURE 6 is a schematic bottom view of the body member with the bottom of the member removed for clarity.

FIGURE 7 is a schematic of the relative positions of the valve plug and the body portion shown in FIGURE 5 taken upon the line AA in FIGURE 1 when the present invention is used as a liquid filtered pipe.

FIGURE 8 is a schematic of the relative positions of the valve plug and the body portion shown in FIGURE 5 taken upon the line AA in FIGURE 1 when the present invention is used to provide mixed smoke of liquid filtered and unfiltered smoke.

FIGURE 9 is a schematic of the relative positions of the valve plug and the body portion shown in FIGURE 5 taken upon the line A-A in FIGURE 1 when the present invention is used as a liquid cooled pipe without filtering.

The basic concept of the present invention includes the provision of a pipe having a resin body, a tobacco bowl and a stern. A valve plug is provided in the stem to control the flow of smoke through passages extending from the tobacco bowl, through a cooling chamber having smoke filtering liquid therein such that smoke may be passed either directly to the stem, completely through the liquid, or partially through both paths at the same time. The manner of interconnecting the smoke passages, from tobacco bowl to the cooling chamber and to the stem or from the tobacco bowl to the cooling cham- Patented May 21, 1968 "ice her and to the filtering chamber then to the stem 0: mixing both, depends on the position of the valving plug In carrying out this invention, as shown in the draw ing, there is provided a body member 4 including 2 lower portion thereof for containing filtering liquid ant a top portion for a stem 1 whose lower end is receiver in and supported by an upwardly opening well 4a, a1 inner bowl 2 with metal lining 2a, and a smoke regu lating valve 3. The body member 4 has two major por tions, the upper portion and the lower portion. The up per portion has essentially two open bores provided b the outer bowl 4e and the stern receiving well 4a. Th4 outer bowl has an inner cylindrical chamber and oute partially circular wall which are integral with the bod member 4. The inner cylindrical chamber of the oute. bowl has a fiat bottom separating the outer bowl ant the lower portion of the body member 4. The bed; member 4 has a flat bottom 4b and upwardly extending vertical walls forming a liquid chamber in the lowe portion and said open bores in the upper portion. Th1 stem receiving well 4a also has a cylindrical inner cham bet and a flat bottom with three holes 4j, 4k and 4m A phenolic plastic sleeve 4c is molded into the botton of the outer bowl portion of the body member during the injection molding process of the body portion. Sail phenolic plastic sleeve 4c receives the tubular portioi 2c of the inner bowl 2. The inner bowl 2 is molde from phenolic plastic and has a metal lining 2a in it rounded bottom and a cylindrical inner wall. The meta lining has a top flange in its rim extending radiall slightly. The phenolic plastic inner bowl body 2 has rounded bottom and cylindrical wall with its top edg extended radially and having a depending cylindrica flange 2b engaging about the cylindrical upper end 0 the outer bowl 46. The upper end of the outer bow 42 has a plurality of vertical slots 4d which are longe than said depending cylindrical flange 2b of the inne bowl 2. Thus, the inner bowl is cooled by natural con vection of air through slots 4d. The inner bowl 2 ha an eccentrically located smoke discharge aperture corn municating with the tubular smoke duct 2c providin communication between chamber 4f and well 50. Th tubular duct 2c is suitably assembled in the sleeve 4 which is molded in the body member 4. The lower por tion of the body is divided into three chambers, smok cooling chamber 4f, smoke filtering chamber 4g, an liquid chamber 4h. The smoke cooling chamber 4 an the smoke filtering chamber 4g are located along th narrow side walls of the elongated body member. Th remaining space at both ends and the space betwee the smoke cooling chamber 4 and smoke filtering charr ber 4g are included in the liquid chamber 4h. The smok cooling chamber 4 has a smoke intake aperture 4i corr municating with the tubular duct 2c of the inner bovt 2 and a smoke discharge aperture 4i communicating wit the stem receiving well 4a. The smoke filtering chambe 4g has an intake aperture 4k communicating with th stem receiving well adjacent to the smoke discharg aperture 4 of the smoke cooling chamber 4 There 1' also provided a smoke filtering aperture 41 in the smok filtering chamber at the lower end of the wall nea the bowl end of the body member. There is provide a valve 3 of cylindrical shape in the stem receiving We with a semicircular smoke passing cavity 3a in the be torn and a smoke aperture 3b suitably located such thz said smoke aperture will align with the smoke discharg aperture 4j of the smoke cooling chamber when th smoke passing cavity accurately seals off the liquid fillin hole 4m in the bottom of the stem receiving well 4t As the valve 3 is rotated the smoke apertur 3b of the valve is over the liquid filling hole 4m an the smoke passing cavity 3a is suitably over the smoke :lischarge aperture 4 of the smoke cooling chamber and the smoke intake aperture 4k of the smoke filtering :hamber such that the smoke cooling chamber 4 and the smoke filtering chamber 4g are interconnected through the smoke passing cavity 3a of the valve 3. There is also provided two small shoulders 3c and an upwardly extending small handle 3d on top of the cylindrical body parallel to the straight side of the semicircular smoke passing cavity 3a and along the diameter of the cylindrical body. The stem 1 has a tubular lower portion as the lower end and a suitably bent mouth piece as a top end. A smoke passage 1a is provided between the tubular lower portion and the mouth piece. There are two slots 1b in the lower rim of the tubular portion along the diameter of the tubular end. The slots 1b are provided to receive the small shoulders 3c of the valve 3 such that the valve can be rotated 9y rotation of the stem. There is also provided a cigarette adapter of plastic material having a lower cylindrical body 511, a radially extending flange 5b, and a :entrally located cigarette receiving well 50 with a metal lining 5d. The lower cylindrical body 5a is suitably fitted in the metal lining 2a of the inner bowl 2. The flange 5b is for easy handling.

In operation of the device one must remove the valve 3, fill the liquid chamber 4h with desired liquid such that the liquid level is above the smoke filtering aperture 41 of the smoke filtering chamber 4g. If filtered smoke is desired, the valve 3 must be placed such that the smoke passing cavity 3a is over the smoke discharge aperture 4i of the smoke cooling chamber and the smoke intake aperture 4k of the smoke filtering chamber. Upon loading the tobacco bowl with tobacco the pipe may be smoked in the usual manner. The smoke from the burning tobacco passes through the smoke discharge aperture 2d of the inner bowl 2, the smoke intake aperture 4i 3f the smoke cooling chamber 4 wherein excess moisture is condensed, the smoke discharge aperture 4j of the smoke cooling chamber, the smoke passing cavity 3a of the valve 3, the smoke intake aperture 4k of the smoke filtering chamber 4g and smoke filtering aperture 41 whereby the smoke is filtered, and bubbled through the liquid surface to the smoke aperture 3b of the valve 3 and consequently to the smoker through the smoke duct la of the stem 1. Should unfiltered smoke be desired, 3116 can rotate the valve 180 so that the smoke aperture 3b of the valve 3 is aligned with the smoke discharge aperture 4i of the smoke cooling chamber 4f. The hot smoke from the burning tobacco is cooled in the smoke cooling chamber 4 as usual but the smoke :an only enter the stem through the smoke aperture 3b of the valve 3 since the smoke filtering chamber 4g is blocked. Thus, the cooled, but not filtered, smoke is produced. Should it be desired to use a cigarette in the convertible pipe, a cigarette adapter 5 may be used. A cigarette can be smoked in either of two ways.

Having thus completely and fully described the invention, what is now claimed as new is as follows:

1. A tobacco pipe having a body member having upper and lower chambers and a horizontal dividing wall therebetween, the upper chamber having an upwardly opening first circular cavity at one side portion thereof for receiving a tobacco bowl therein, said bowl having an open upper end portion adapted to receive tobacco therein and a lower relatively smaller opening in the bottom portion thereof for passing smoke therethrough, the side of the upper body portion opposite said bowl receiving cavity having an upwardly opening second circular cavity therein for receiving a valve plug and for receiving an end of a mouthpiece to retain the same therein with a friction fit, said body member having a circular closure at the lower end of said second cavity comprising a portion of said dividing wall and having a pair of openings therethrough on that side of said circular closure that is proximal to said first cavity, the other side of said circular closure having a relatively large segmental opening therethrough, said dividing wall having an opening therethrough communicating with the lower bowl opening, a first duct member extending from one of said pair of openings to that opening in the dividing wall communicating with the bowl opening, said member passing downwardly to the lower portion of said lower chamber between said openings, a second duct member extending from the second of said pair of openings to the lower portion of the lower chamber, said valve plug comprising a circular disc portion of the same size as said circular closure and having an opening extending vertically therethrough and located between the center and the periphery thereof, and having means providing a semi-circular cavity in the lower surface thereof, the length of the cavity means being such as to permit the same to overlie said pair of openings to provide communication therebetween, the straight side of said semi-circular cavity being nearer to the center of the disc whereby said plug may be rotated to a position wherein said cavity means may also provide complete communication between either of said pair of openings and the segmental opening or partial communication among the three, said plug having a vertically disposed rectangular planar extension on the upper surface thereof having a pair of shoulders at opposite ends thereof providing portions of lesser height, said extension extending diametrically of said disc and a mouthpiece having a smoke passing passage therethrough, terminating in a bit at one end thereof and having means at the other end thereof providing a slot adapted to engage said extension on said valve plug whereby said mouthpiece may be placed in said second cavity such that the longitudinal axis of the tobacco bowl, the valve plug and the mouthpiece will lie in the same vertical plane, whereby removal of the mouthpiece and rotation of the valve plug through and the subsequent replacement of the mouthpiece in said second cavity will either seal said lower chamber from said mouthpiece passage or, permit smoke to be drawn through said first and second duct member, said pair of openings, into the lower chamber, through the filtering and cooling fluid therein, and through the mouthpiece to the smoker, and whereby rotation of said mouthpiece and valve plug to an intermediate angular position will permit the smoker to draw smoke partially through the filtering medium and partially through said first duct member to and through said mouthpiece passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 55,321 6/1886- Masson 131-173 1,563,460 12/1925 Walker 131-173 1,727,763 9/l929 Gevirman 13123O X 2,124,130 7/ 1938 Van Devanter.

2,804,079 8/1957 Wang 131173 X 2,815,030 12/1957 Wenger 131173 FOREIGN PATENTS 797,941 2/1936 France. 1,004,068 1 1/ 1951 France.

ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL KOREN, JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiners. 

